Miles SmithThe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is finalizing a grant agreement with a Hawaiian county to address wildfire relief and housing development efforts.
As part of the agreement, Maui County will receive more than $1.6 billion in federal funding to further recovery from the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.
The funding, which was awarded through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery program, was finalized last week, according to the county.
The grant will primarily be used for critical housing and infrastructure initiatives that include housing, economic revitalization and mitigation programs, Maui County officials said.
The August 2023 wildfires, primarily affecting the island of Maui, killed more than 100 people and caused more than $3 billion property damage. The wildfire is the fifth deadliest in the nation’s history.
The $1.6 billion grant represents the largest single allocation of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds to a single local municipality ever.
The federal grant award was formally announced in January.
The application process for housing programs funded by the grant will begin in August, the county said, with program implementation expected to begin in the fall.
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